The prestigious SuperSport Let’s Play Sports Star of the Year awards ceremony was held at the Flamingo Casino Conference Centre on Thursday (30/11) for the Northern Cape newspapers.
Express Northern Cape, Noordkaap and Kalahari Bulletin each named a winner and runner-up.
This year’s event saw two guest speakers, Eugene Jacobs (CEO: Northern Cape Cricket) and Geraldine Faber (SpecSavers), deliver inspirational and motivational remarks to all the SuperSport Let’s Play finalists.
Jacobs emphasised that parents should be supportive of their children’s dreams and not force their own dreams on their children.
He also said that children must be supported in order to become the best they can be.
SpecSavers sponsored coupons for each newspaper’s winner and runner-up, as well as a lucky-draw voucher for the parents.
The awards ceremony was applauded for its resounding success and growth over the years. Over 70 people attended the event this year.
Frances van der Merwe (15) was named this year’s Express Northern CapeLet’s Play Sports Star of the Year.
This Gr. 9 learner of the Diamantveld High School in Kimberley was chosen for her sporting achievements in athletics, biathlon, swimming, cross-country, hockey and trail running.
She has been named as the girls u.15 Griqualand West biathlon and cross-country champion for the past two years.
She also achieved her provincial colours and took part in the South African championships for both disciplines.
She is a swimmer at the Flamingo Aquatics Club and plays for her school’s u.16B hockey team.
On 1 July, Frances achieved a third place in the category for women 16 to 30 years at the Montafon-Arlberg 16 km trail run in Austria.
Frances also gives expression to her love for Irish and contemporary dance.
Her motto is: ”Aspire to inspire before you expire.”
Darian Booysen (14), a Gr. 8 learner of the St Patrick’s CBC, was named as this year’s runner-up.Da Let’s Play Sport Star of the Year for Express Northern Cape is
Darian attained his first dan black belt in karate in May.
He also made the Free State team for the JKA Karate South African championships that was held in Johannesburg in May and won a silver medal for kumite in his age group.
Darian also received his South African JKA colours in karate and competed at the JKA World Championships in Limerick, Ireland, in August.
He is now ranked in a joint ninth position in the world in the JKA Karate boys u.14 kumite category and has made the Griqualand West JKA Karate team every year since 2013. He is also a provincial and level-two swimmer.
He is currently the best u.14 50 m freestyle swimmer in the Northern Cape, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal and the Free State.
He also competed at the South African level-two regional championships in March.
At the level-two championship in Sasolburg, he won four gold medals and two silver medals.
He also competes in biathlon and made the Griqua boys u.15 team that competed in the South African Biathlon Championships in April.
Darian made the GW boys’ u.15 team that qualified to participate in the Southern Free State Interprovincial competition in October, where he obtained a third place.
He also won numerous school sports awards, including sports winner of the year, junior victor ludorum, most promising young sportsman and highest point scorer in the school.
